3 min learnHyderabadCould 23, 2026 09:11 AM IST
Since becoming a member of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, alternatives within the beginning XI have been scarce for Venkatesh Iyer. RCB have been a champion facet final season, and profitable groups have a tendency to not tinker with the mixture. Iyer was benched by way of the early levels of the season earlier than making an affect instead in opposition to the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Resulting from accidents and in an try to tweak combos for the Raipur situations, RCB later drafted Iyer in as a starter. On Friday in opposition to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Iyer smashed a 19-ball 44 as an opener, albeit in a defeat, pursuing a tall 256-run goal. Of their earlier recreation in opposition to the Punjab Kings, Iyer performed within the center order, changing the injured skipper Rajat Patidar and smashed 73 off 40 balls to win Participant of the Match.
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“Look, I’ve acquired lots of respect for Venky,” mentioned RCB head coach Andy Flower after a 55-run loss to SRH on Friday.
“He’s needed to await his likelihood. And each time he’s had an opportunity, both as an affect participant once we’ve wanted the additional batsmen as a result of we’ve acquired ourselves into some bother within the innings or within the final two matches when he’s been given an opportunity, first at quantity 4 in Dharamsala after which right now opening the batting, he’s taken all of these possibilities. So, his perspective by way of the season has been excellent,” Flower added.
The ready recreation has been significantly irritating for the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder. “I’d lie if I mentioned that I used to be not pissed off or didn’t need to play. I actually needed to go on the market and play as a result of for gamers like us, it’s the chance to play within the IPL. We need to play, we need to do nicely,” Iyer had mentioned earlier.
Regardless of the restricted recreation time, Iyer’s work ethic acquired wealthy reward from Flower. “He’s performed lots of IPL cricket, performed for India and was sitting on the sidelines ready for his likelihood. He’s been in that dugout. He’s had a giant smile on his face on a regular basis.”
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“He’s practised laborious each single practise session. He’s labored laborious. He’s labored laborious at his bowling, his fielding and his batting. And he’s been exemplary, to be trustworthy. So, lots of respect for him. Thanks a lot to your questions,” Flower added added.
Iyer had gone for a monumental Rs 23.75 crores final yr to the Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise with whom he shot into the limelight in 2021 and performed an vital position of their title-winning marketing campaign in 2024.
The large value did take its toll on him final yr, earlier than RCB snapped him up for Rs 7 crore.
“They’ve welcomed me very nicely. Clearly, it’s a really skilled setup and the cricket a part of it, the administration, is simply unbelievable. All credit score to Mo Bobat and DK, the best way they’ve taken care of the boys, it’s simply unbelievable. On high of that, the model of cricket that RCB performs is one thing that excites me rather a lot,” Iyer mentioned.
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